title: Anthropometric parameters in screening for excess of adiposity in Argentinian and Spanish adolescents: evaluation using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) methodology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various anthropometric parameters have been proposed for defining overweight in adolescence, but few studies have evaluated their diagnostic accuracy in comparative terms, using samples from different regions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the performance of anthropometric parameters in determining the excess of adiposity in Argentinian and Spanish adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample is composed of 1781 Argentinian and 1350 Spanish subjects, aged 12-17 years. Excess adiposity was defined as percentage BF in the 90th percentile or higher. ROC curves established the validity of parameters to define excess adiposity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Descriptive statistics showed differences between the Argentinian and Spanish samples. ROC curves indicate that all the parameters analysed had, in the Spanish and Argentinian samples, a positive and elevated association with excess of adiposity. The waist-to-height ratio had the highest value of the area under ROC curve (AUC), while conicity index and waist-to-hip ratio had the lowest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences exist with respect to size and body composition between the Argentinian and Spanish samples. ROC curves reflect a general pattern of variation. Waist-to-hip ratio and conicity index are less desirable in the diagnosis of excess adiposity and the most desirable is waist-to-height ratio.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biology and.
authors.forename: María Soledad
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mesa
authors.forename: María Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Marrodán
authors.forename: Delia Beatriz
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Lomaglio
authors.forename: Noemí
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: López-Ejeda
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreno-Romero
authors.forename: José Ignacio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Bejarano
authors.forename: José Edgardo
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dipierri
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pacheco
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D001118:Argentina; D001823:Body Composition; D049628:Body Size; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012372:ROC Curve; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013030:Spain